Petunia plant named ‘Jam Plumein’

ABSTRACT

A new  petunia  plant particularly distinguished by large, purple to purple-pink flowers with strong dark veins, medium-green foliage with elliptical leaves, a medium, round, bushy, moderately tight plant habit with moderately vigorous growth, an initially low spreading to later decumbent or trailing plant habit with an early to medium and continuous flowering response, is disclosed.

Genus and species:

Variety denomination: ‘Jam Plumein’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of petunia,botanically known as a Petunia sp., and hereinafter referred to by thecultivar name ‘Jam Plumein’. The new cultivar originated from ahybridization made in February 2003 in Gilroy, Calif. The female parentwas ‘Jam Bluintwo’, a blue-flowered proprietary petunia plant (U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/369,365) with dark veins, while the maleparent was ‘Revolution Pinkvein’, a pink-flowered commercial petuniaplant (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,341) with dark veins.

The new cultivar was created in 2003 in Gilroy, Calif. and has beenasexually reproduced repeatedly by vegetative cuttings and tissueculture in Gilroy, Calif. and Andijk, The Netherlands over a two-yearperiod. The plant has also been trialed at Gilroy, Calif. and Andijk,The Netherlands. The present invention has been found to retain itsdistinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar were applied for in Canada onJul. 19, 2005, in Switzerland on Sep. 16, 2005 and with the EuropeanUnion on Sep. 28, 2005.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of this new cultivar when grown under normalhorticultural practices in Gilroy, Calif. and Hillscheid, Germany.

-   -   1. Large purple to purple-pink flowers with strong, dark violet        veins;    -   2. Medium-green foliage with elliptical leaves;    -   3. A medium sized, rounded, bushy and relatively tight plant        habit;    -   4. Moderately vigorous growth;    -   5. An initially low spreading to later decumbent or trailing        plant habit; and    -   6. An early to mid-season and continuous flowering response.

DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPH

This new petunia plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographwhich shows the overall plant habit including blooms, buds, and foliageof the plant; the colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtainedby conventional photographic procedures. The photograph is of a3-month-old plant grown in a greenhouse in Hillscheid, Germany.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed description sets forth the distinctivecharacteristics of ‘Jam Plumein’. The data which define thesecharacteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out inHillscheid, Germany. The plant history was taken on 5 to 6-week oldplants which were planted as rooted cuttings in 12-cm pots in early July2005 and grown in a greenhouse. The plants were pinched once.Observations were made when the plants were in full flower in August2005. Color readings were taken under natural light in the greenhouse.Color references are primarily to the R.H.S. Colour Chart of The RoyalHorticultural Society of London, (R.H.S.) (2001).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Solanaceae.        -   Botanical.—Petunia sp.        -   Common name.—Petunia.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—‘Jam Bluintwo’ a proprietary blue-flowered            petunia plant (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.            11/369,365) with dark veins.        -   Male parent.—‘Revolution Pinkvein’, a commercial petunia            plant having pink flowers (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,341) with            dark veins.-   Growth:    -   -   Form.—Herbaceous annual.        -   Habit.—Spreading initially, to decumbent or trailing plant            habit; relatively well-branched.        -   Height (measured from the top of the soil).—16.2 cm.        -   Width (horizontal plant diameter).—23.2 cm.        -   Propagation.—Terminal tips for cutting.        -   Time to produce a finished flowering plant.—About 11 weeks            for a 12-cm pot in the Spring.        -   Outdoor plant performance.—Use in hanging baskets and            containers.        -   Time to initiate and develop roots.—About 25 days.        -   Root description.—Fibrous.-   Stems:    -   -   Average number (basal).—6.1.        -   Length of basal branches (from the base of the stem to the            tip).—22.7 cm.        -   Internode length.—4.8 cm.        -   Diameter of branches (from midpoint).—0.4 cm.        -   Stem color.—RHS 143B (green).        -   Anthocyanin.—Absent.        -   Texture.—Finely pubescent.-   Leaves:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Size.—Length: 5.7 cm. Width: 4.0 cm.        -   Shape.—Elliptical or narrowly-ovate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Rounded or obtuse.        -   Color.—Upper surface: RHS 137C. Lower surface: RHS 143A to            RHS 144A.        -   Texture.—Upper surface: Mainly glabrous. Lower surface: Some            hair along the edge and at the veins.        -   Venation.—Mainly pinnate.        -   Venation color.—RHS 144B.        -   Petioles.—General: Very short, not clearly distinct from the            leaf blade. Length: 0.1 cm to 0.3 cm. Width: 0.2 cm to            0.3 cm. Color: RHS 144B. Texture: Densely pubescent.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Shape.—Tube-shaped to weakly funnel-shaped with deep            furrows.        -   Size.—Length: 4.5 cm. Diameter: 0.6 cm.        -   Color at tight bud.—Mainly RHS N77D (dull light-purple) or            lighter.        -   Immature flower color.—RHS N78A (violet) with RHS N78D            (light-violet) margin.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Blooming habit.—Continuous from Spring to Fall.        -   Inflorescence type.—Flowers appear solitary on pedicels,            emerging singularly at the nodes.        -   Number of flowers per node.—1.        -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—7 to 9 days.        -   Fragrance.—Weak.        -   Pedicels.—Color: RHS 143B (light-green). Length: 5.1 cm.            Diameter: About 0.2 cm. Texture: Densely pubescent.-   Flowers:    -   -   Shape.—Lower part is funnel-shaped, formed by 5 fused            petals; corolla margin is salver-shaped, formed by the petal            lobes opening outward.        -   Size.—Diameter (flower face): 7.5 cm to 8.0 cm. Depth (total            length of flower): 5.0 cm to 5.5 cm. Funnel: Length: 3.0 cm            to 3.5 cm. Diameter (at opening): About 1.5 cm. Outside            texture: Shallow furrows with glandular hair along the            veins.        -   Mature flower.—Face/Margin Color: Upper surface: From RHS            N74A (purple) near the corolla opening, fading to RHS 75A or            RHS 75B (light bluish-pink) near the margin and with            distinct RHS N78A (deep-purple) veins. Lower surface: Mostly            RHS N74C.        -   Corolla.—Shape of corolla: Tube-shaped. Color inside            (throat): RHS 79A (deep purple-violet). Color outside: RHS            N77B (dull-purple).        -   Petals.—Apex: Weakly rounded, nearly truncate. Base: Fused.            Margin: Entire. Waviness: Moderate. Lobation: Shallow to            medium. Texture: Glabrous (upper surface).        -   Calyx.—Composed of 5 sepals fused at the base.        -   Sepals.—Number: 5. Color: Upper surface: RHS 137D. Lower            surface: RHS 143A to RHS 143B. Length: Up to 1.8 cm. Width:            0.4 cm to 0.6 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Obtuse. Base:            Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture: Upper surface: Dense            pubescence. Lower surface: Sparse pubescence.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamens.—Number: 5. Filament color: RHS N155A (white).            Filament length: 2.0 cm to 2.5 cm. Filament diameter:            0.1 cm. Pollen color: RHS 98D (light-blue). Pollen amount:            Moderate.        -   Pistil.—Number: 1. Length: 2.5 cm. Stigma color: RHS 145A            (light-green). Style color: RHS 145D (very pale-green).            Style length: About 2.1 cm.-   Fruit and seed set: No seed set observed so far.-   Disease and insect resistance: No particular resistance or    susceptibility has been observed.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL AND COMMERCIAL CULTIVARS

‘Jam Plumein’ differs from the female parent ‘Jam Bluintwo’ (U.S. Plantpatent application Ser. No. 11/369,365) by having larger, purple topurple-pink flowers, while ‘Jam Bluintwo’ has light-violet flowers.

‘Jam Plumein’ differs from the male parent ‘Revolution Pinkvein’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 9,341) by having deeper purple to purple-pink flowerswhile ‘Revolution Pinkvein’ has pink flowers. In addition, ‘Jam Plumein’has larger flowers, an earlier flowering response, and a more compactplant habit than ‘Revolution Pinkvein’.

‘Jam Plumein’ differs from the commercial variety ‘Danpethap’ (U.S.publication No. 2002-0073472) by having less bluish, deeper purpleflowers, while ‘Danpethap’ has lavender flowers. In addition, ‘JamPlumein’ has better tolerance to cool temperatures than ‘Danpethap’.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of petunia plant as shown and describedherein.